Accelerator control mechanism



Nov. 3, 1931.

J. L. MULHOLLEN 1,830,441

ACCELERATOR CONTROL MECHANISM Filed July 1'7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR.

' JL mufiozzen BY 22M Z 2% ATTORNEY.

Nov. 3, 1931.

J. L. MULHOLLEN ACCELERATOR CONTROL MECHANISM Filed July 17, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

8M ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 3, 1931 nuns L. MULHOLLEN, or Tom WAYNE, INDIANA ACCELERATOR CONTROL MECHANISM Application 111m July 17,

The invention relates to mechanisms, for.

, cially in long distance driving, it is tiresome to continuously hold the foot on the commonly used accelerator pedal. Wherea steady speed is practicable the operator may relieve his foot by shifting the hand throttle'lever at the steering wheel which must be returned by hand in the event a stop is required. Where the foot is maintained on the accelerator pedal it must be moved from that pedal to the brake pedal when stopping of the vehicle is desired and errors are frequently made, especially by new drivers, the accelerator pedal being depressed instead of the brake pedal.

The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism by which the accelerator pedal may be depressed'and locked to accomplish a sustained speed, the foot thereafter being removed therefrom and placed on the brake pedal or on the floor conveniently to the brake 2 pedal, the application of the brake or clutch pedals'releasing the locking mechanism and the accelerator pedal.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated .in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front elevational view ofthe mechanism; Fig. 2 a plan view of the mechanism, the pedals bein turned down; Fig. 3 a side view of the pe als in collapsed condition; Fig. 4 adetail view of the lock releasing mechanism taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 a cross section on line 55 of and Fig. 6 a cross section on line 6-6 0 1 1. Referring to the illustrative embodiment mounted in the bearings 2, 3 carried by the base 4 that is attachable to the floor board of a motor vehicle below the usual brake pedal 5 and clutch pedal 6. A pedal 7 is provided with side flanges 8 that are loosely mounted on the shaft 1 and it carries a spaced member of the invention 1 is a rock'shaft suitably or plate 9 on itsrear side that is adapted to ,engag the accelerator pedal 10 of the motor vehic e. A pawl 11 is formed on a plate 12 that is slidably mounted on the rear side of mounted at 15 on the base 4..

1929. serial No. swam the pedal 7 and is adapted .to engage the teeth, of an arcuate rack 13 projecting upwardly or forwardly at the side of the pedal 7 from a plate 14 (Fig. 4) that is pivotally A second pedal 16 is provided with side flanges 17 that are also loosely mounted on the shaft 1. The pedal 16 overhangs'the pedal 7 and for most of. its length it is narrower transversely than the pedal 7 so that the foot may contact with either orboth of said pedals. When the foot rocks pedal 16 the-pedal 7 does not move until pedal 16 contacts with it and rocks it. Pedal 16 carries 'a roller 18 on its rear side that will pass through anopening 19 formed in the pedal 17 and engage the cam face 11 of the pawl 11. Normally the roller is disposed in the opening and rests on the camface 11 of the pawl which pawl is in engagement with the rack near the forward OIMIIPPGI' end thereof. A spring 20 opposes movement of the pawl and therefore holds it inengagement with the rack sothat pedal7 is'locked to the rack. Upon depressing the pedal 16 the roller causes the pawl to disengage from the rack and permit the pedal 7 to be rocked on the shaft to depress or release the pedal 10. 1 When the pedal 7 has been rockedto the angle at which it will cause the 1 vehiclethrough the pedal 10 to be propelled at the selected speed, the pedal 16 is released and the pawl instantly engages with the rack I and locks the pedal 7 to the rack in its ad-,

justed position. Upon again depressing the pedal 16 sufliciently to disengage the pawl 5 from the rack the pedal 7 will tend to rock in the opposite direction under the influence.

of the usual spring (notshown) that opposes the accelerator pedal 10. Hence thespeed of the vehicle is readily controlled by depress ing orreleasing the pedal 7 The lower end 21 of the plate 14 (Fig. 4)

is looped upwardly under the shaft 1, a washer 22 being disposed on theshaft and abutting one edge of the loop 21 and a spring23 en- 9 gages the washer and the bearing 3 thereby opposing pivotal movement of the plate 14 and holding the rack against the 'pawl. The

forward portion of the loop is taperedto form a sloping edge24 opposite the washer 22and the corresponding edge of the rear portion of the loop is notched at 25v to receive the cam projection 26 of a collar 27 that is secured to the shaft 1. When the collari27 is rotated in proper direction the cam forces the loop toward the bearing 3 and thereby causes the plate 14 to swing on its pivot and move the rack 13 away from the pawl to release the pedal 7 and the pedal 10. y

In order that the movement of the cam collar 27 shall be automatic I loosely mount on the shaft 1 at suitable oints two levers-28 and 29 each ofwhich is te escopin in form and I hold each in place by two co lars 30and 31 one of each of which pairs of collars, as 31 carries a pin 32 that is adapted to be abutted by a pin 33 projecting from the levers. The

a pawl carried by the edal, a toothed raclr a mounted on the second pedal and adapted to engage the pawl to release the pawl from the rack when the latter, pedal is rocked toward the first pedal.

In witnesswhereof I have liereunto subscribed my name.

' J AMES L. MULHOLLEN.

levers are suitably pivotally connected" to the brake and clutch pedals 5, 6 respectively. A spring 34 opposes the rotation of the shaft 1.

It is apparent by depressing .either pedal 5 or 6 that the pin 330m the lever 28 or 29 will abut' pin 32 and cause the shaft and the cam ,collar 27 to rotate whereby the plate 14 is rocked on its pivot and the rack is drawn away from the pawl to release the pedal 7, the

telescoping property of .the lever 28 or 29 accommodating the movement of the pedal.

The pedal -7 may be depressed without depressing the pedal 16 to increase the speed of the vehicle but it wilLnot return to normal position without depressing. the pedal 16 to release the pawl or by depressing either pedal 5 or 6 to move the rack away from the pawl. Hence thepedal 7 remains in the position to which it is rocked by the foot ofthe driver and he may then place his foot on or adjacent to the brake pedal and-mean operate the latter pedal and. automatically 'release the pedal7f J What I claim is: Y 1. The combination with and a clutch pedal, of a rock shaft having ,operating connections with both pedals, a

rocking. pedal adapted to enga e and depress the accelerator actuating mem .er,

rocking member overlying the first rocking member and adapted to release-the pawl an V adapted when 2. The combination with a motor vehicle accelerator actuating member, of a 'rockiYng' pedal adapted toengage and depress the said member, 'a hack, a pawl carried by the pedal and adapted to en ing p dal'an adapted to release the pawl a motor vehicle accelerator actuating member, a brake pedal a-movable rack, a pawl carried by the rocking member and adapted to engage the rack, a second ge the rack and a. second rocln'ng pedal over ying thefirst rock- I A no when ocked toward the first rocking pedal.

The combination with a motor vehicle accelerator actuating member, of a pedal'piv- 

